Articles blown or formed in hand glass factories are typically grasped with a tool when the article is separated from a punty or blowpipe and is subsequently transferred in a metal carrying device to an annealing lehr or oven. These tools are necessarily made of metal. As the hot article may have a temperature of 900.degree. F. to as much as 1500.degree. F., depending on the thickness of the article wall and the time which has elapsed after the forming thereof, contact between the hot article and the metal tool forms check marks on the article or causes outright breakage. Check marks are visible lines or fractures in the wall of the ware and represent zones of weakness which may later cause the article to break. Thus an article so marked must be scrapped.
Various means have been employed to cover or coat the metal tools so as to insulate the ware from the ware handling tools. Many makers of glassware use asbestos in the form of pads or wrapping for that purpose. Asbestos, however, readily frays or wears out, breaking down into fibres which are a health hazard. It is the principal object of my invention to provide tools which do not utilize asbestos covering or wrapping and do not damage hot glassware.